2 tablespoons of ground Cinnamon (for exfoliation and a little extra color texture) I get my powders and spices from Starwest Botanicals.

Tools You Will Need:

1) A crockpot dedicated to soap making. Some people have their crockpots do double duty between food and soap. I'm just not comfortable with that, so I have two dedicated soap crock pots. I use the large ones (this is a 3 pound recipe, so you will definitely need a large crock pot.

2) An immersion blender to bring the oil and lye solution to trace. This is important. If you don't have an immersion blender, you will probably be stirring for hours instead of just 5-10 minutes, max.

6) Kitchen Scale---This is a MUST have when making soap. Your measurements must be accurate to within a hundredth of an ounce for best results. Since you are working with lye, it's best not to be off.

Learn how to make hot process soap and customize it the way YOU want with confidence! You'll love my new eBook!

Directions for Making Fall Mandarin Spice Hot Process Soap:

These are very basic directions. For a full tutorial with lots of pictures on how to make hot process soap, please see my article HERE.

Keep in mind that making soap using lye (sodium hydroxide) is potentially very dangerous! Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection because lye is extremely caustic and can burn! Please read the article and do some extra research if you are new to soap making. This website is excellent for more information: TheNerdyFarmWife.com and OakHillHomestead.com both have excellent soap information.

Step 1:

Get your lye solution going. Measure out your water into a pyrex glass measuring container. I use one that is completely dedicated to making soap. Then pour your lye slowly into the water and mix well. I do this outside because making the solution creates fumes that can be dangerous. PLEASE BE SURE TO WEAR YOUR GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION! I also wear long sleeves.

NOTE: It is VERY important to pour the lye into the water and not the other way around. If you pour water on top of the lye, you may end up with a caustic volcano.

Also, the solution will be quite hot at first! Since you are making hot process soap in this tutorial, though, you don't need to worry about it being a certain temperature before using it. Just be aware that it is HOT.

Step 2:

Now get your oils into the crock pot. Use the LOW setting. During the winter time the coconut oil and the shea butter will be solid, so you'll need some time to have them melt down.

Step 3:

Once the oils are melted together, go ahead and add your colorant---in this case, 2 tablespoons of Safflower Powder! If you don't have Safflower powder, you can just go colorless or add 1 tablespoon of Turmeric for a golden color. Annatto powder will work fine, too, but go easy on that because it can get VERY orange fast.

Step 4:

Once your oils are melted and you have added your herbal powder for color, gently pour the lye solution into the oil. Using your immersion blender (BE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR GLOVES AND EYE GEAR ON!), mix, mix, mix all together until it comes to trace. This simply means it looks like pudding with a gentle peak. It's better to be a little too firm than too soft, if you are in doubt.

Step 5:

Now just put the lid on and continue "cooking" the mixture. Be sure to keep an eye on it, because as the chemical reaction starts taking place, it will "grow". It's pretty cool! At this point STIR, STIR, STIR it down. After the first stir, you don't need to watch it so carefully. You'll be stirring it a couple more times. Don't be afraid to stir it down often if you want. (GOT YOUR GLOVES & GLASSES?)

Step 6:

You'll see the soap going through some different stages, until it reaches a rather translucent waxy stage, kind of like vaseline. There should be NO opacity in the mixture---it should be translucent. Once you get to this point, you can give it the ZAP test.

Taking some off your wooden spoon, roll it around between two fingers. It should feel like warm wax. Once it is cool enough, touch this to the tip of your tongue. If you feel a zap, it's not ready yet!

Personally, I like to over cook it a bit to be sure I don't get zapped. I had a batch once, where I forgot to put in the almond oil, and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't completely saponifying (turning into soap). I kept getting zapped! Trust me, it's not too enjoyable. You'll definitely know if it's not ready or if you did something wrong.

Step 7:

Turn off the crock pot, and let it sit for just a minute or two with the lid off before pouring in your essential oils. Then stir, stir, stir them COMPLETELY into the batch.

After this, go ahead and pour a couple of tablespoons or so of the Cinnamon in and just stir it around a bit. I like chunks of dark color, so I don't go too crazy trying to mix it in super well. That's up to you, though!

Step 8:

Pour the mixture into your soap mold. Actually, you'll be using a wooden spoon to glop it in. Then press it in well with your spoon. I'll use my hands on the top to press even further. You don't want air pockets, and you want the soap to completely fill in the corners of the mold.

Step 9:

Let it cool completely for several hours. If you have a "top" like a loaf of bread, which may happen if your mold is too small (like mine are), you can cut the top off after about 45 minutes and form this portion into balls---soap balls! Let them cool.

After your soap is completely cooled down, take it out of the mold and let it sit overnight or for a few more hours. You can cut it as you need it, and this will actually help it stay fresh and smelling great longer too! OR, if you want to, go ahead and cut it into bars.

I usually let my hot process soap cure for a day or two before using it. It just helps with further evaporation in case it's a bit moist. Usually it's just fine to use right away! That's one reason I love hot process soap making. I guess I'm impatient!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! :-) Let me know by leaving a comment!

Hugs & Self-Reliance!

Heidi

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the HHH Newsletter! When you do, you'll get two free eBooks! One has lots of great essential oil diffuser recipes and directions to make a spray, and the other compiles easy ways to relax using herbs!

This post contains affiliate links and ads. If you happen to click through and make any kind of purchase, not even including what was clicked on, I will make a small commission. I really appreciate your support!

Hi. I'm Heidi. I am a mid-life homesteader/teacher-turned-blogger! We live off-grid on less than an acre with lots of animals... READ MORE....

Have you ever wanted to make your own natural soap...the way YOU want it? Or, to experiment with the hot process method? Here is everything you need to know...You won't have any questions about hot process soap making and customizing your soaps once you read my eBook!

Don't forget to SIGN UP for our Weekly Newsletter so you Never Miss a Thing! When you do, I'll be sending you my eBook "How to Relax in the Evening Using Herbs," FREE! You can unsubscribe at any time, and your privacy is always safe. Just CLICK HERE!